More Extinction Rebellion arrests as London protests continues

More than 200 people have been arrested in 48 hours during climate change protests in London.

Hundreds of Extinction Rebellion (XR) supporters gathered around Parliament Square as Boris Johnson headed into the House of Commons on Wednesday.

The Met Police confirmed a further 72 people had been arrested as of 17:00 on Wednesday.

XR organised action in London and Manchester to urge the government to prepare for a "climate crisis".

XR spokesperson Tamsin Omand, 35, from London, said the protesters wanted the Prime Minister to see and hear their action on Wednesday.

Ms Omand said: "Disruption is a core tenet of how XR works and how we have managed to achieve so much in a short period of time.

"We have been outside Downing Street blocking his route on both sides and of course he's encountering us here in the square - I think we are impossible to ignore."

Det Asst Commissioner Laurence Taylor said the Met had learned lessons from last year's protests and it had been easier to manage this year as there were fewer people in the capital.

Last year, more than 1,700 arrests were made during Extinction Rebellion's 10-day "Autumn Uprising", which saw major disruption across the UK.